Newsletter - January 2015

Winter is upon us, and although nature is slowing things down outside, we are still bustling here at the Township office.

Did you know…

Our Assessing Assistant, Kathy Manley, has accepted a position with another township, and will be leaving us shortly. While we are sad to see her go, we wish her the best of luck. That being said, this leaves us in search of an Assessing / Building Department Assistant. This is a Full-time position with benefits working in both the Assessing Department and Building/Zoning Department. For full details, please visit the Job Postings page on our web site. Interested parties should send their cover letter and resume to the Township Manager.

Board of Review (BOR) terms of service expired at the end of December, and two of our members have decided they will not be returning for another term. We would like to thank Bob Camron and Jim Purrington for their service. The Township Board of Trustees has re-appointed Bob Erickson to the BOR, and has appointed new members Terry Webb and Scott Chisholm to 2 year terms. Welcome aboard gentlemen! We are still looking for one or two alternates to complete our Board. The BOR reviews the assessment roll for complete, accurate, uniform and valid data. Board of Review meets in March, July and December each year, and members serve a 2-year term. If you or someone you know would like to join the BOR, please notify the Northfield Township Manager.

Athena Trentin and Tim Anderson recently resigned from their positions on the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). Thank you Athena and Tim for your service. The ZBA welcomes new members Greg Kolecki and Amy Steffens! We are currently in need of one additional alternate for this board. The ZBA has the ability to grant variances or exemptions to the Zoning Ordinance in instances of hardship, and meets on an as needed basis. Interested parties should contact the Northfield Township Manager

The Township Board has agreed to a contract with People’s Express (PEX). Northfield Township will pay $10,000 to PEX, with federal fund matching for a total of $20,000, to reduce costs to residents. There are still some details to work out, but service should begin shortly. Once approved, residents may travel within the Township for $2.00 each way (seniors and persons with disabilities - $1 each way). In Addition, AAATA has provided 2 grants to PEX – 1) for medical rides for seniors or people with disabilities, and 2) anyone going to work in the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti area. These rides will be $5 - $7 each way. Reservations for all rides must be made 3 business days in advance. Call 1-877-214-6073 to schedule your trip or visit www.peoplesexpressmi.com

The Northfield Township Community Center will begin administering congregate meals for the Meals on Wheels program in Spring 2015, with home delivered meals to begin at a later date. This was originally scheduled to begin in January, but was recently pushed back to early March. Please contact Tami Averill at the Community Center for details and eligibility, 734-449-2295.

M-DOT will be here in February for a US-23 Environmental Assessment public hearing. (Please note, this meeting was originally scheduled for January 22, 2015, but has been postponed. Notice will be sent out when a new date is set.) This will be the final opportunity for the public to meet with the study team, and review and comment on documents. Information is also available at www.michigan.gov/mdot/under Road and Bridge Projects.

There will be a joint meeting between the Board of Trustees and the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) at the next Board Workshop, January 27, 2015. This joint meeting will be dedicated to discussion of the DDA’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district; the district boundaries, and the impacts (both positive and negative) that are associated with TIF districts.

The bid for the Non-Motorized Path, Phase 3 has been awarded to TetraTech. Construction on the final phase of the path is slated to begin Spring 2015.

Codification of the Township’s ordinances is complete and available on-line. This allows you to search our ordinances via our web site www.twp-northfield.org

The Parks & Recreation Commission has been hard at work developing their new Master Plan. We are looking for feedback from the residents. Please help us by going to our website and completing the on-line survey.

We are wrapping up the Horseshoe Lake sewer refund, and expect to have the numbers released in January. We will have the list available at the Township Office for Horseshoe Lake residents to review prior to final approval from the Board of Trustees.

The Northfield Township Community Center is now on Facebook and Twitter. "Like” and/or “Follow” us to keep up with upcoming events!

… And this is just the tip of the iceberg. So as always, feel free to contact us at the Township office for additional information. The Board of Trustees is working diligently to make Northfield the best community in Washtenaw County.